Salem's Little Spark
by Goth Albino Angel
Summary: While traveling through a recently destroyed village, Salem comes across a small human baby in one of the ruins. Deciding to take the baby home, Salem watches her little Cinder grow into a strong young woman ready to take on the world. Commissioned on my tumblr.
1. Salem's New Baby

**_Hey, alligators! I'm back with a RWBY fic! This was a commission I've been working on for a while. If you want to commission a fic, details are on my tumblr blog, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. Anyway, hope you enjoy this!_**

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Salem strode through the remains of a town recently pillaged by her Grimm. Bodies littered the ground, some of them missing pieces. Her creatures certainly were overzealous in their pursuit of the plague known as humanity. As expected, none of the people around her had been left alive.

She didn't usually come out of her fortress, but she needed some fresh air and to understand how the humans had tried to fight back this time. Their methods tended to evolve the more they discovered about the Grimm, so it was imperative to make sure they haven't figured out too much on how to destroy her creations. From what she could tell, they hadn't progressed much since the last time she left the fortress. Honestly, did the humans never learn?

"Such a waste of creation," she murmured, stepping over the body of a fallen Hunter. "If they would comply with our wishes, they could become something greater. But I don't expect them to understand that."

She continued picking her way through the village. Buildings still fell to ruin around her, roofs collapsing and walls falling under their own unstable weight. Nothing but the wreckage moved. Nothing else could.

As she was passing yet another building sunken under the Grimm's attack, Salem paused. What was that? She stopped and some nearby beowolves took notice, moving to her side. Salem listened carefully and perked up. There it was again.

"Find where the sound is coming from," she ordered. "Don't kill whatever is making it, just keep it trapped until I arrive."

The beowolves nodded and hurried into the damaged building. Salem waited patiently. A loud bark sounded from inside and Salem stepped through. Picking through the rubble, she found the beowolves standing beside a cabinet.

 _It must be an injured pet,_ their mistress thought. _Best to put it out of its misery._

"Open it," she ordered calmly.

Together, the Grimm pried the locked cabinet open and Salem's eyes widened. Was that…?She leaned down, finding her suspicions confirmed. Lying in the cabinet, clad only in a cloth, was a baby. No doubt, the humans hid it in there in an attempt to keep it safe from her Grimm. A futile effort, of course.

Salem made to turn away, but the baby gave a soft whimper, making her pause. Seconds ticked by for a moment before she wondered aloud, "Am I really about to…?" With a sigh, she ordered, "Hand it here."

The beowolves cocked their heads in confusion, but obeyed nonetheless. One of them scooped up the human young in his large paw and handed it to his mistress. Salem eyed the baby curiously. It couldn't have been more than a few months old. Its large amber eyes stared up at her as it sucked its own hand.

With a shake of her head, Salem exited the house, the baby tucked snugly in the crook of her arm. The beowolves flanked her, all of them shooting occasional looks to their mistress and the human they sensed with her. As they returned to the fortress in their territory, Salem set the baby on a table and began a fire. More Grimm gathered curiously, sniffing at the humans in their midst.

Salem shooed them back and looked down at the baby. It cooed up at her, sucking on its toes. Red eyes blinked before Salem sighed. "I suppose we should name you eventually…"

A few embers from the fire floated into the air and the baby reached out to them with a high-pitched giggle. Salem glanced to the fire curiously. "Right. You creatures like being close to the warmth, I forgot." She moved them closer to the fire and noticed the little creature seemed to grow calmer with the movement. "Is this… soothing?" She gently rocked the human in her arms and, surprisingly, the baby began to snooze in her arms.

Perhaps… this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

She wasn't entirely certain why she had chosen to save this child. Something about it had called to her when she heard it whimper up at her from that cabinet. She doubted it was that strange 'maternal instinct' she'd heard about from the few humans she'd bothered watching over. Grimm didn't have that kind of instinct. While some of them did have a pack mentality, such as the beowolves, goliaths, and creeps, but Grimm were not nurtured the way humans were.

Over the next few weeks, whenever she wasn't sending her Grimm to different areas of Remnant, Salem watched over her little Cinder. Some of the Grimm occasionally examined the human, thoroughly baffled by its presence. However, Salem released a rush of power if they got too close to it.

The baby grew larger with each passing day, a head of black hair gradually sprouting on its head. Its large eyes finally stayed open longer, allowing it to look around. Considering Salem was the only one who could see in the fortress, it was an interesting dynamic trying to keep the little one from reaching out for the various Grimm that passed through. It still sucked on its fingers or toes occasionally, but it also gained better control over its muscles.

Once she realized this, Salem remembered that, eventually, humans have to learn how to walk. Before walking, she remembered something called a crawl. If the baby could do that, it would have no trouble learning to walk. The problem was that its body was bigger than its arms and legs, so how was it supposed to learn to crawl? Did all human young learn to crawl with such disproportionate bodies? Well, there was only one way to find out.

And that's how the tiny human began its crawl training.

Today was the same as those before it, with Salem watching over the little human creature. The tiny baby waggled its fingers at her with a smile on its face as it tried to crawl closer. She still hadn't figured out a name for it yet, but she could think of that later, when it actually needed to be called. For now, she wanted it to know how to crawl.

All of the Grimm around the room stared at their mistress in confusion. Why had she kept this miserable little creature? Usually, if one of those somehow managed to find its way onto their land, the Grimm had free reign to kill it. Instead, this one, as weak and oblivious as it was, wasn't allowed to die. They couldn't even get _near_ it without their mistress' say so.

Salem smiled as the tiny baby came closer. Before it could make it fully to her, the baby paused and patted the floor. Salem stared at it in puzzlement. Did it not like the floor? There were cracks everywhere and the baby could easily hurt itself if she wasn't careful. However, currently, a high pitched laugh bubbled up from its round belly as it slapped its little hands against the cracks. Salem stared as it had the time of its life, rolling on them and hitting them as if they were the funniest things in the world.

After a few moments, Salem shook her head and swept over to her little charge. Gently lifting the baby, she gave it a once over. "Now, look at you," she laughed quietly, bright red eyes taking in all of the dirt covering the creature. "You're all covered in leftover ash." Salem stared at the ash being shaken from the baby and she hummed. "You like the cinders, hm?" The baby cooed up at her. "Maybe… I suppose that can't hurt. How would you like to be named… Cinder?" She gained another coo as response. "Very well. For however long you're with me, you will be called Cinder." Red eyes narrowed as an idea formed in Salem's head. "Cinder Fall…"

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 ** _And there you go, alligators! Hope ya liked the first chapter. The fic will be taking you through Cindy's life, all the way to the point in V5 (spoiler alert) where Raven kills(?) her in the Relic Vault at Haven. Hope ya stick around!  
_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_**


	2. Children Like Grimm

**_Alright, another chapter! Little Cinder is exploring the Grimmlands when she stumbles on two Grimm fighting._**

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Cinder laughed as she made her way around some puddles in her mother's territory. Grimm occasionally climbed from them and growled at her. Cinder growled back, her tiny hands curled like the beowolves' claws and her legs apart like the Ursa. When King Taijitsu slithered out, she snapped at them like the creeps.

Her mother was off on an errand, so Cinder was left in the care of the Grimm for the day. Most of them stayed away from her or watched over her from a distance. Some of them moved closer, but didn't come close enough for her to touch them. Cinder didn't mind. The Grimm didn't like creatures like her, so it was better for them to stay away.

A growl off to the side caught her attention and Cinder crept over curiously. There wasn't much underbrush (a word she had learned from Mother) in this place, so Cinder could make out some Grimm nearby. She wondered why there were no trees here like in her picture books, but she was more interested in what the Grimm were doing. They didn't usually fight, but the little child enjoyed watching whenever they did.

Crouching down, she slowly moved closer. She knew not to get too close anymore. An Ursa almost bit her once. When she could see without squinting, she sat down to watch. It looked like a creep and a beowolf were going to fight this time. Last time, it was two Nevermores, so Cinder was curious to see how this one would play out.

Cinder stared as the Grimm circled one another. The creep, being smaller, was closer to the ground, while the beowolf stood tall above it. They kept growling and pawing the ground, scratching the dirt with their claws. Cinder wondered if all of the Grimm did that or just these two. She wanted to ask Mother, but before she could leave, the creep jumped at the beowolf.

A loud roar filled the air and Cinder covered her tiny ears as the beowolf slashed at the creep, knocking it backwards. The creep's roar wasn't as loud as the beowolf's, but it still charged again, ramming its head into the beowolf's chest. Cinder's eyes followed them as the beowolf stumbled backward, its paws flailing in the air. It growled and twisted its body, bringing itself down on top of the creep. The creep squeaked and kicked the beowolf until the larger Grimm rolled off of it.

The creep used the beowolf's distraction to jump at it again, snapping at the beowolf's mask. Cinder gasped. Masks were very important to the Grimm. If you took one off, it was like killing them. That's what her mother said. Were the Grimm so angry they wanted to do that?

The creep dug its teeth into the beowolf's mask, but the beowolf shook its head hard enough to throw the creep off. They circled each other again. The beowolf's eyes were narrowed and it glared at the creep. Cinder thought the creep would've been dead by now, but even though the beowolf was bigger, it wasn't beating up the creep all that easily.

The creep dove underground and Cinder waited with anticipation. Being close to the ground was good for a creep because they could pop out wherever they wanted. The beowolf quickly moved to the side and the creep hopped out, only to go back under. Cinder followed the movements of the two Grimm. The beowolf moved any time the creep went underground and the creep went back under as soon as it popped up. Neither of them could touch each other this way, which meant the fight couldn't be finished until one of them thought of something else or got tired of moving so much.

Cinder figured the creep would get tired first since it was the one digging underground. The beowolf wasn't moving as much as the creep had to, so it would have more energy than the creep. Sure enough, the creep moved away from the beowolf and clawed the ground, giving deep grunts. The beowolf growled at it and the creep went back underground, only for the whole thing to repeat again. Cinder didn't know if the creep got its breath back, but it didn't go underground for as long this time.

The two Grimm circled each other for longer this time and Cinder waited excitedly to see what would happen. They were probably really tired from the weird game of tag. This time, when the creep charged, the beowolf brought its claws down on top of it, spearing the creep in the back. Cinder gasped as the beowolf picked up the creep, keeping it from touching the ground. If a creep couldn't touch the ground, it was basically powerless, since it couldn't dig to safety.

Cinder stared in awe as the beowolf dug its claws deeper into the creep's back and ripped it in two. The creep gave a squeaky roar before it dissipated into thin air. Cinder had seen plenty of Grimm do that. Did she do that when she was ripped in half? She didn't want to find out. Unfortunately, once the beowolf went back down onto four paws, it turned to her.

Cinder whimpered as the beowolf growled at her. She didn't want to get torn in half. She was supposed to growl back, but what if the Grimm attacked her? Scooting back, Cinder stared up at the beowolf. Its tongue flicked out at her and Cinder stared at its large teeth. What if it tried to bite her like the Ursa did? Beowolves didn't have big teeth like Ursa, but they had more teeth, so they could bite more of her. She didn't want to get bitten. Her mother would be angry if she got bitten by a beowolf or any Grimm.

The beowolf crept slowly closer, tasting the fear in the air. That meant there was more prey nearby. Prey meant food or humans. Either one was going to meet its teeth and claws. The Grimm lowered itself into a crouch, readying its hindlegs to pounce and crunch on-.

A sudden wave of power overtook the area. There was only one thing that could mean. Its mistress was not happy. From the amount of power, its mistress must have been very nearby. In fact, she was just behind the beowolf's prey. She was protecting it? That wasn't good. Was it about to attack its mistress' new pet? Best to get out while it still could.

Cinder's eyes widened in surprise when the beowolf stopped getting ready to attack. It gave a soft whimper before turning away and running. What was that about? Did it do that because of the noise she made? She would have to ask her mother about it. She didn't see Grimm run away from a fight all that much. Usually, it was one of the older ones scaring the smaller ones, but Cinder was smaller than the beowolf. Maybe it was just tired from its fight and didn't want to attack her.

Behind Cinder, Salem stared down at the child speculatively. She hadn't actually gone out on an errand, of course. She just wanted to see how the child acted without her specific supervision. For the most part, her expectations were met. Little Cinder didn't go anywhere she wasn't supposed to, she didn't bother the Grimm too much, and she generally followed the rules laid down for her. Her lack of contact with the snack foods was most likely due to the Grimm guarding them, though, so perhaps the study wasn't exactly one hundred percent. However, this particular part of the day had provided new information. It was enlightening, noting the difference between the child before the fight and now.

When the Grimm had been new, Cinder had copied them, growling and mimicking their stances. However, after seeing one destroy another at such close proximity, she opted to cower instead. Perhaps, without even realizing it, the little spark understood danger without ever having been in any real danger before this experience.

Salem melted back into the shadows to continue her observation. As Cinder regained her playful attitude, Salem couldn't help wondering how else she would develop. It had definitely been worth it to keep the baby around.

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 ** _Trekkin' on! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See ya in the next one!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_** ** _  
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	3. Teens Enjoy Battle

**_Chapter three, comin' atcha! Cinder is training with her first weapon, when things take a downward spiral._**

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Cinder grunted as she threw off another beowolf. The ground under her feet shook and she leapt to the side. Not a moment too soon, either, as a creep sprang from the floor. A growl behind her indicated another threat and Cinder lifted her bow just in time to stop an Ursa's jaw from closing on her.

Ever since she was younger, her mother had been teaching her how to fight. Teaching was a generous word since it was mostly pitting her against the Grimm with the express order for them not to kill her. She used the Ursa as punching bags, the beowolves were her sparring partners, and the creeps and nevermores helped her learn how to dodge and block. Over time, the Grimm she fought grew, and with them, her fighting ability.

After a while, her mother brought home materials for her to use to make her own weapon. Salem actually had her Grimm bring it back, but she wasn't going to ruin the illusion that she ever left the Grimmlands. Cinder had chosen the bow and arrow as her weapon of choice, a good one considering her lack of a brawler's build. She wouldn't do very well in close combat with leaner Grimm like the beowolves if she chose weapons that were too close combat. She had a graceful body and a precise eye, so hitting her target was easy to learn. Now, she just went through the motions to hone her instincts.

Salem sipped her drink idly as she watched her daughter fight her opponents. Beside her, more Grimm waited on the sidelines. Should the Grimm currently fighting Cinder perish, the reserves would step in to take their place. It was to improve the Little Spark's stamina as well as her endurance. She was making large strides already, but her movements were still somewhat sloppy. That wouldn't do if she wanted to go out into the rest of the world.

Sweat rolled down Cinder's back as she flipped over an Ursa. Even with her aura unlocked, the blows from the Grimm still stung. All of them were doing their best to keep her from using her weapon. However, tight spaces were natural to fighting. She needed to learn how to use her weapon no matter the conditions.

Sliding under the incoming claws of a nevermore, Cinder shot its underside, keeping her bow close to her. Hopping out of the crouch, she shot a few bolts at the Ursa's back, staggering it slightly. Another nevermore swooped closer and she used the sharp edge of her bow to spear its head.

From behind her, Cinder heard a growl. It was too close to dodge and too fast to block. Amber eyes widened in shock as their owner went down under the weight of the attacking beowolf. All of the Grimm in the area perked up as the scent of fear filled the room. Salem sat up straighter, ready to see how Cinder tackled this obstacle.

The beowolf's teeth bore closer to Cinder's neck. Her bow had been knocked too far to reach. Hand-to-hand it was.

The next few minutes, the two wrestled with one another. Cinder used both hands to keep the beowolf's muzzle off her while kicking the Grimm's stomach. The beowolf kept all four paws firmly planted on the ground to keep its leverage. Everyone else waited, wondering who would win the struggle.

The beowolf growled in frustration and pulled back. Cinder saw her chance and spun around, reaching for her bow. The beowolf bore down on her excitedly. Cinder slammed her free hand into its throat and the Grimm yelped in shock and pain. Cinder had just managed to grasp her bow, her focus concentrated on getting her weapon back. With her grip loosened on the Grimm, it lunged forward, sinking its teeth into her shoulder.

Cinder wasn't entirely certain what happened next. The pain blurred her memory. Salem, on the other hand, watched with rapt attention as the beowolf's teeth dug into Cinder's arm. Cinder's reflexes kicked in and her knee slammed into the beowolf's chest, knocking it back. Unfortunately, the Grimm didn't let go, so when it reeled back, it took her limb with it.

Blood spilled in every direction, Cinder gritting her teeth against the pain. Salem blinked at her daughter in shock. Most other humans would have cowered back. Instead, her Little Spark ran right at the Grimm, weapon clutched tightly in her remaining hand.

Time seemed to slow for Salem as she watched Cinder swing her bow. The beowolf's paw swung out and the two collided. Cinder's bow snapped and the beowolf's claws swiped the left side of her face, taking a chunk with them. Almost as if on autopilot, Cinder's hand rose and slammed into the beowolf's chest. A beat passed before glass spikes erupted from the Grimm's body.

Salem stood as her creature disintegrated. Cinder swayed on her feet and Salem snapped at a creep. It hurried forward and caught the human's falling body. Its mistress knelt down, examining the downed girl. Cinder was still conscious, but just barely. Still, it was good for her to be awake for what was coming next.

"I need you to stay awake for me," Salem cooed, lifting the injured girl into her arms. "It's the only way to fix you." Cinder nodded, her breath stuttering as she focused on her mother's face. She couldn't remember what happened, but she must have won. If she hadn't, she'd be dead, right? There was no way that beowolf would have let her live.

Salem strode to the nearest puddle upon exiting the fortress. Gently laying Cinder beside it, she dipped the ripped arm into the liquid. Cinder watched in awe as the black goo started forming around her injury.

While it did, Salem scooped the liquid into her hand and applied it to Cinder's mutilated face. She'd experimented with this method of healing, but this was the first time she was using it on a human she actually cared about. Hopefully it worked. It was the first time she was regrowing something as big as an arm or complex as an eye.

Slowly, Cinder's pain receded and she blinked her remaining eye up at her mother. "What happened?" she croaked.

"Don't move," Salem ordered. "it's not finished." She paused for a moment. "You unlocked your semblance. And you'll need new weapons."

Cinder looked at her regrowing arm. "My semblance… finally…"

"Promise me something," Salem whispered seriously.

"Anything, Mother," the healing girl responded immediately.

"Don't turn your back on an enemy," Salem told her. "Eliminate all of them before turning away. Don't stop looking at them unless they're incapacitated or dead. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Cinder murmured. "I promise, Mother."

Salem smiled. "Good. Once your new arm and eye are finished, we can practice with them."

"Can't wait," her little human laughed.

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 ** _This one was a little hard to figure out, but I hope you all liked it! I don't know what that black goop is, I just figured I'd use it._**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_**


	4. Adults Love Fun

**_Coming up, Cinder heads into Vale and meets a dashing stranger!_**

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Cinder strode idly through the human town. This was Vale, if she remembered her mother's teachings correctly. This city wasn't much, but that's to be expected. It was one of the few towns in the kingdom still standing, possibly the _only_ town in the kingdom still standing. Not for long if Cinder had her way, but she wasn't on a destruction mission today. In fact, she wasn't on a mission at all.

Streets passed as Cinder strolled leisurely through the town. She was just taking a day away from the fortress, seeing the sights, watching the people, the like. It also allowed her to survey those her mother wanted to get rid of.

A siren sounded nearby and Cinder moved closer curiously. Apparently, there had been a robbery. Fascinating. She spotted someone disappearing into the shadows and gave chase.

The sneak was fast, but their bright red hair was an easy enough beacon to track them with. Cinder followed in the shadows, letting the thief lead her to whatever secure place they were heading to. The buildings began looking less like shops and more like warehouses. The hideout couldn't have been far now.

Sure enough, the thief ducked into an empty warehouse, sealing the exit behind them. Cinder rolled her eyes and leapt up to one of the windows. With a simple gesture, the glass was gone and she climbed through, dropping onto one of the high rises. Moving quietly, she spotted the red hair from before and looked down below.

"Woohoohoo!" a voice cheered. "Now _this_ is a good day's haul! Let's see… some sapphires, a few rubies, ick diamonds… ooh! Obsidian!"

It must have been a jewelry store. Cinder shrugged. She had come this far, might as well meet her new interest. Leaping from the level, she used her replaced arm to catch herself without making a sound. Leaning against a pole, she called, "Diamonds aren't really my type, either. I'm more of an opal kind of girl."

Within seconds, she was staring down the barrel of a cane-shaped gun. Olive eyes glared at her as the thief growled, "How'd you get in here?"

"Window." Cinder calmly pointed to the above entrance.

The thief grumbled unintelligibly before lowering his gun. Cinder raised an eyebrow at that and followed as this interesting human returned to the stolen goods. "I just told you how I got in and you're going to let me live?"

The thief snorted. "If you're smart enough to track me all the way back here, you're leagues smarter than the cops lookin' for me. By that logic, you're not gonna turn me in." Cinder was highly impressed. "Take a seat if you're stayin', sweetheart. Name's Roman, by the by. Roman Torchwick."

"Pleasure," Cinder chuckled. She didn't understand why him calling her sweetheart made her heart jump, but she kind of liked it. "I'm Cinder. Cinder Fall."

"Honor's mine." Roman went back to his stolen jewelry and Cinder watched him curiously.

"You're intriguing," she murmured. "You're letting a complete stranger loiter on your territory."

Roman shrugged, finally finished sorting his valuables. "My territory, my decision. And who am I to refuse the company?" He shot her a smirk and Cinder's heart jumped again.

"My mother would have the head of any intruder," the brunette responded.

"Sounds stingy to me," her new associate huffed, lighting a cigar. "Probably would be exactly the kind of place I'd rob."

Cinder hid a smirk. "I doubt that. We don't really _have_ anything…"

Roman hummed in response and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. "So, sweet cheeks, how come ya follow me? I'm just a common thief."

"Boredom, I suppose," Cinder shrugged. "You caught my eye, so I followed you."

"Well, glad I could catch such pretty eyes." The amber orbs in question blinked in surprise. Such quick and witty comebacks were foreign for Cinder, especially from people.

"Your flattery is much appreciated," she finally said.

A chuckle bubbled up from Roman's chest. "Good to know," he snickered, putting his cigar out on the warehouse's stone floor. "Come on."

Cinder blinked again as he held out his hand to her. "Where are we going?" she asked, taking it. It was warm and a little rough. She liked it better than the fur of the Grimm.

Roman hadn't expected her to take his hand. Hers was soft, with the roughness of a blade wielder. It felt comfortable to hold. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Roman said, "Well, since you're new to town, I figured I'd show ya around. Not that there's much to see, but ya might find somethin' ya like."

Cinder was certain she already had.

Roman took her all over Vale that day. She wasn't fond of the barber, but she liked the restaurant he took her to.

"This place has the best food," he told her. "Figured we could stop here for a bite."

"That sounds lovely," Cinder responded.

While Roman ordered some noodle dish, Cinder preferred a dish that looked like a large chunk of carved meat. It was delicious, even better than the animals the Grimm brought back for her to eat.

Afterward, Roman introduced her to something called paint ball.

"See, ya put the gear on so you don't ruin your clothes," he explained, helping her properly strap on a vest and tuck her dress into the padded leggings. "It's also so ya don't get hurt."

"Isn't that what aura is for?" Cinder asked in confusion.

"Not everybody's got their aura unlocked, sweetheart," the redhead informed her. "This helps protect kids n' stuff."

That was news. She hadn't known not everyone had their aura unlocked. Why bother having one if you're not going to use it?

Naturally, their paint ball fight ended in a tie. Cinder had no experience with guns, and Roman had no experience with partners as fast and flexible as Cinder. They both ran out of paint and spent a good while laughing at the absurdity.

A growl filtered to them as they were heading back to Roman's warehouse. Roman instantly drew his weapon, but Cinder placed a hand on his arm.

"What're you-?"

"Don't worry, they won't hurt us." Cinder sighed. "However, I should be getting home." Leaning up, she pecked Roman's cheek. "I'll see you again real soon, Roman."

A grin slid onto Roman's face as she sauntered away. "Bet on it," he chuckled.

Cinder strode into the fortress in a daze. Salem watched her curiously, wondering what could have her Little Spark so absentminded. One of the Grimm beside her growled lowly and she blinked.

"Oh no." She blinked again. "I have to give her The Talk."

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 ** _One more down! This is probably the longest chapter, and I had so much fun writing it!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_**


	5. Cinder Hates Ruby

**_Next chapter, coming up! After her victory at Beacon, Cinder contemplates everything that happened and how she'll move forward._**

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Cinder sat on her bed, staring at her hands. Well, hand and claw. Thanks to that red-haired little welp, her illusion charm no longer worked on the Grimm parts of her body. Just one of the things that persistent wretch had screwed up for her.

A pang shot through Cinder's chest when she remembered what else she'd lost last night. _Roman…_ She should have warned him, given him more protection, _something_. She was the only human the Grimm weren't allowed to attack. Any other human hadn't been granted the same protections by their mistress and were, therefore, fair game.

Cinder dropped her head into her hand. It was so stupid to include him in such a dangerous plan. The risk had been so much greater for this one. She should have let him fly out of Vale without getting involved. But she hadn't. And he'd been eaten.

Even worse, she'd also lost their prodigy, Neo. Sweet, mischievous, snarky Neo. When Roman had first introduced them, Cinder had been only mildly impressed with the girl, but Neo had a way of changing that. Whether it was her smirk or the small tricks she played, Neo always made Cinder curious about what she was up to.

Now, in the aftermath of the attack, no one even knew where Neo was. Cinder hadn't even had time to look for her, thanks to the Red Nuisance. The only hope was that she had managed to get to safety during the attack, but considering the odds, the hope was slim.

A jolt of heat rang through Cinder's hand and she stifled it slightly. Ever since she had returned, her maiden powers were overflowing. Sure, she'd had them for a while, but not to this degree. The heat, the itch, the want to release some of the energy, just so she wasn't practically bubbling over… it was so new. If not for her previous training, she probably would have destroyed the fortress by now.

It also was thanks to her previous training that she was able to defeat Ozpin. A sneer curled the new Fall maiden's lips as she remembered the way she had practically crushed him with her new power. He had put up a good fight, but even he couldn't beat her, not with that much power. It was just so irritating that his death was so quick. After losing Roman and then having to deal with the new injuries, she would actually have preferred to keep him alive, just to kill him slowly.

Taking deep breaths, she let the negativity fade. It made the Grimm restless if she held on to it for too long. Besides, in due time, that pathetic hooded child would meet the same fate as her warrior friend. They all would. For Roman, for Neo, and for herself, Cinder would see to it that they all got what was coming to them. A grisly end.

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 ** _There we go! Only one more chapter to go!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_**


	6. Salem Hates Everything

_**And the last chapter! After Cinder's death, Salem is furious at how everything has turned out.**_

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Salem gripped the arms of her chair ever tighter. She felt it. She _felt_ it when Cinder's soul left her body. She knew before any of her other henchmen even opened their mouths, that Cinder was not going to return to them all. The green one, Emerald, appeared utterly devastated by the news and, for the first time in eons, Salem could empathize with a human.

Ozpin no doubt thought this was a massive victory, the cretin. He had defeated her maiden surrogate, which meant neither of them knew who the next maiden would be. He most likely thought she was going to go searching for the maiden again and repeat the process. Old fool.

She couldn't repeat that process, regardless of how effective it was. No other maiden would feel the same, no new surrogate would feel the way Cinder did to Salem. They would be copies, fakes, replacements for something irreplaceable. The one human for as far as she could remember that Salem cherished more than anything else in the world was not something that could just be replaced or redone. That was impossible. No one could be her Little Spark.

The rest of her henchmen watched her warily, all of them wondering how she would respond, no doubt. Her claws merely scratched along the chair once more. The assassin's son, Mercury, visibly cringed at the sound. Salem's eyes narrowed on him and the boy gulped, averting his gaze almost immediately. Good. He deserved to feel guilt for his failure, fear of her wrath.

Arthur had no quips, smart man. Salem knew he was well aware of her relationship with Cinder. Should he make even a single comment, she would not hesitate to have her Grimm devour him piece by sniveling piece. Regardless of his usefulness, she would not tolerate a single insult to her Little Spark, not right now.

Tyrian, poor boy, was confused. He usually did his best to please her, but the jokes were usually at Cinder's expense or he would banter back and forth with her to Salem's amusement. Her claws scraped along the chair again as she recalled those little moments. Sometimes, Cinder would set Tyrian on fire when she got bored or annoyed. It was an interesting display and Tyrian didn't even seem to mind. He himself always stung Cinder's Grimm arm with his tail as a joke and Cinder would mimic dying of poison. Salem didn't understand their jokes before, but now, she wished, even for a second, that Tyrian could stab Cinder's Grimm arm with his stinger again, for even a _moment_ of normalcy.

But nothing would be normal ever again. Cinder was gone. The light that had brightened her fortress every day had blown out. Nothing could bring that light back, and without it, the darkness would return. Her Little Spark wouldn't come in bragging about her victories, or frustrated over a loss. She wouldn't be sparring the beowolves, or using the Ursa as her punching bags anymore. She wouldn't stare in wonder at the fights that broke out between the Grimm.

Ozpin no doubt thought this was a win, despite not knowing just how deeply his latest victory cut her. That was fine, though. She had time. All the time in the world, in fact. And she would use it to make him suffer, every waking moment, and second asleep. Cinder would rest peacefully once she was done.

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 ** _And there ya have it! Hope you enjoyed the ride, alligators. Can't wait for Volume 6!_**

 ** _Remember, sneak peeks and update info can be found on my tumblr, gothalbinoangel-fanfiction. And I still have commissions open for anyone who's interested!_**


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